Sapa

Mist rolls in over the Sapa rice terraces in northwest Vietnam. The district of Lao Cai is located about 260 miles from Hanoi, and one way to get there is by travelling on an overnight train journey that winds its way slowly through the hills while gaining altitude on the way.

This area is popular for trekking, staying in homestays and generally meeting the local hill-tribe people called the Hmong.

Rice terraces have been built into the mountain slopes for cultivation by reclaiming the land from nature. Views of this epic scenery are frequently subdued by thick mist rolling through the valley’s, but even when it’s cloudy, the local hill-tribe people (Hmong) fill the towns and villages with colour.

Approximately 236 miles northwest of Hanoi in the northern part of Vietnam lies the district of Sapa.

Known for its extensive rice terracing on the surrounding hills and mountains, travelers, trekkers and photographers are drawn to its overall beauty. Thousands of tourists come every year to trek the hundreds of miles of trails around the villages of Dao, Ta Van and Ta Phin and meet the Hmong people – a local ethnic group.